The Gift
by White Irah
Summary: Aang has been missing for a few days. Katara sets out to search their camp's surrounding area for any signs of him along with Toph and Sokka.


Katara looked around her with a cautious and slightly nervous expression on her face. The forest was dense making it impossible for the untrained eye to see more than a few feet in every direction. However, the many nights she spent keeping watch at the camp payed off, and she could now make out every movement in the dark forest. She leaped through the trees, just like Jet taught her last summer, always keeping her eyes and ears on maximum alert, taking in every sound, every image the night had to offer. She stopped on a low hanging branch and slid to the ground where Toph was waiting for her. "Anything?" Katara asked quietly. Toph shook her head "Nope, not a single movement besides Sokka tripping over those tree roots about half a mile that way" she said while pointing to the north with a gesture of her head. Katara sighed in relief and even let out a chuckle at the thought of her brother falling on his face. "Anything on your end?" Toph asked. "No... the sky is silent tonight, just like it was yesterday, and the day before that." The soft smile she'd had on her lips just a few moments ago made place for a worried expression. "Lets head back to camp" she said with a sad tone as she started walking towards Sokka's location.

Half a mile to the north, Sokka is attempting to get up after his unfortunate encounter with the evil tree roots. "Why is it that every time Aang is late Katara makes us all look for him?" he mutters with a grumpy face while dusting his clothes off. "I mean, he's the avatar, what could happen, right? And besides, he has Appa, such a ferocious beast, do you remember when he scared those firebenders the other day with that loud fart?!" Sokka starts laughing while reaching for his bag. Momo shows up out of the bag and quickly climbs on his shoulder holding a piece of fruit in his little hands. He takes a bite out of the fruit and then offers some to Sokka. "You know, little buddy, it's sweet that you offer me some but I'd really rather just eat fruit that you haven't already licked clean...". Momo stares at Sokka with his big eyes for a moment then quickly stuffs the piece of fruit into Sokka's mouth and jumps onto a branch. Sokka, surprised, stumbles back clumsily and trips, for a second time, over the roots that made him kiss the ground earlier. "What are you doing?" a voice asked him. Sokka spit out the fruit covered in Momo-saliva and looked up searching the direction from which the voice came from. "Aang!" he yelled while scrambling back to his feet, "we've been looking all over for you!" The young avatar tried to compose his face when seeing Sokka's amusing behaviour and is glad when he can direct the laughter to Momo who jumps on his shoulder and curls his tail around his neck. "I just took a little detour, that's all...". Sokka stares at him in disbelief "A detou-!?" "Aang!" Katara interrupts. She runs towards the young boy and hugs him with obvious relief. She quickly composes herself and pushes him off of her. "Where have you been?!" she asks with a stern voice placing her hands on her hips. Aang looks at her with an unsure expression, he didn't really think this through. "I uh... I had some business to attend to." he explains with an uneasy voice and a bad poker face. Katara glares at him and is about to lecture him when Toph quickly enters the conversation with a loud laugh, "Hey, Sokka, you better run fast, Appa broke into your food supply back at camp!". Sokka wildly threw his hands into the air "Appa nooo, bad Appa, Appaaaa stooop!", he ran towards the camp waving his hands in the air like a madman with Momo following in flight. Toph followed in a slower pace, still laughing, leaving Aang and Katara alone.

With amused faces Aang and Katara watched Sokka and Toph run off into the darkness. Aang looked at Katara and was taken aback by the beautiful silver the moon reflected off her hair. Katara quickly regained her lecturing expression after the smile her brother magically put on her face again and she turned to Aang who quickly looked down being embarrassed by staring at her. "I uh... I brought you something." Aang said with a deep red face and hoarse voice. "You... brought me something?" Katara said in surprise, dropping her hands from her hips. "What is it, where did you get it from?" she asked after a moment, now with more curiosity than surprise. "Well, I don't have it here." he replied. She just looked at him questioningly. "Come with me" he said. Grabbing her hand he pulled her into a running pace back towards their camp less than a mile away.


End file.
